New Barriers Just the Ticket for Birmingham Rail Users

Automatic ticket barriers are being installed at five stations in Birmingham as part of a £2.7 million investment by rail operator London Midland.

The first barriers will be completed at Five Ways and University in early March, followed by Snow Hill two weeks later and Moor Street in mid-April.

The work, which is part of London Midland's franchise commitment, will be completed when barriers are installed at New Street Station in the summer.

London Midland managing director Steve Banaghan described the barriers as a ‘ring of steel.'

"These barriers are part of our continuing investment in Birmingham and will improve security for passengers," he said.

"It's unfair that passengers have to pay while a minority chose to dodge their fare. These barriers are an effective way of preventing fare dodging. We have a strong record of reducing fare evasion but we can't afford to be complacent.

"Many passengers will be familiar with ticket barriers from using the London Underground. There will be a period where some of our passengers get used to this new technology, but staff will be on hand to help."

Training is being provided for London Midland staff, especially when dealing with the numbers of passengers using Birmingham New Street, but the barriers are compatible with the majority of tickets.

Passengers put their ticket into a slot on top of the machine, which opens gates if their ticket is valid.

If passengers have reached the end of their journey the ticket will be retained.

Despite the introduction of the automatic ticket gates staff levels will remain the same.

The gates' software system can provide intelligence, which will help forecast future growth and allow London Midland to gauge passenger levels on individual routes.

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